NBC correspondent Bloom another media casualty in Iraq

NEW YORK: David Bloom, an NBC News correspondent travelling with the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division outside Baghdad, died yesterday, The broadcaster said that the 39-year-old husband and father of three, died of an apparent pulmonary embolism.

Bloom reported on many top stories for NBC and served as White House correspondent, Weekend Today anchor and field reporter. In a career that spanned nearly 20 years Bloom covered many top stories for NBC News, most recently reporting from Israel on the escalating violence in the Middle East and from the United States on home-front security and the recovery efforts at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

In his most recent assignment while travelling with the 2nd Battalion, 315 Mechanised Unit of the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division in its push toward Baghdad. Bloom broadcast live reports as the American armoured column he was traveling with fought its way north through the Iraqi desert.

Bloom and the crew covered the war on a specially modified M-88 tank recovery vehicle that allowed them to file live reports during the division’s campaign from Kuwait to the outskirts of Baghdad. Bloom’s reports from Iraq for NBC News, MSNBC TV and MSNBC.com drew attention to him and his news organization.

Paying tribute to Bloom NBC's VP network news operations Stacy Brady said, "He was very involved in the whole process. Just from his reporting experience, he added in a lot of requirements or needs that he thought would be essential for this to work."